The field of the invention relates generally to flight control systems, and more specifically, to a method and systems for rapid recovery after a flight control system error or fault.
At least some known aircraft include a control system that includes a digital computer. A flight control system receives inputs from sensors and/or a pilot and in response provides control signals to flight control components of the aircraft. An example of a flight control system included in some known aircraft is a fly-by wire system. In an aircraft that includes a fly-by wire system, a pilot's movements of cockpit controls are not transferred to a corresponding flight control surface of the aircraft through a mechanical coupling, such as hydraulics or cables. But rather, the pilot's movements of cockpit controls are converted by sensors into electronic signals that are transferred to the flight control system computer. The flight control system computer provides actuators coupled to the flight control surfaces of the aircraft with operating instructions. Fly-by wire systems also typically include sensors that provide the flight control system computer with data that is combined with the pilot inputs to determine operation of the flight control surfaces, for example an electronic stability system.
A flight control system may also be included in an unmanned vehicle. A flight control system in an unmanned aircraft receives electronic signals, for example from a remote location or from a pre-programmed flight-plan, and combines those electronic signals with information from sensors to determine operation of the flight control surfaces.
Uninterrupted operation of the computer and/or rapid recovery from a computer error or fault facilitates reliance on a computer for flight control.